He Died A Lonely Man
by horsegal-98
Summary: Vanity Garber is a beautiful and innocent girl travelling steerage on the Titanic, Thomas Andrews is a handsome, wealthy man, designer of the Titanic.Their brief love affair ends in tragedy and devestation, due to Vanity's innocence and Thomas's pride.
1. Default Chapter

He Died a Lonely Man  
  
Working title: Once More, With Feeling  
  
By Mel Docwra, loosely based on Stephan Sondheim's Sweeney Todd in addition to James Cameron's Titanic.  
  
Dedicated to my beautiful horse, Trifle, (1977-13/8/2003).He was loved by everyone, was a faithful horse and my closest and best friend. He will be missed.  
  
Chapter One- Even as he saw her  
  
Vanity Garber looked around the freshly white washed room.  
  
"This is for me?" She dropped her bags on the floor, turning to face the stewardess.  
  
"Why, yes Miss, this is the room you were assigned," The stewardess said checking the papers she held in her hands. "Is there a problem?"  
  
"But surely they save such fine rooms for the rich folk, don't they?" Vanity had never seen such splendour in her life.  
  
The stewardess laughed. "Pity you can see the first class rooms, miss. But everything on the Titanic is grand, 'tis really the 'ship of dreams' they call it. Will that be all then, miss?" Vanity nodded, and the stewardess turned and left, pulling the door closed behind her.  
  
Left alone, Vanity made to explore every inch of the room, to assertain to herself that it was, indeed real. She had been told of the luxury of the Titanic, but even her wildest imaginations could not compare with this. Everything was new and shining, from the washstand in the corner to the cleaning bed knobs on the bunks. Vanity looked at the bunks, longingly, she had suffered the misfortune of being placed in a cabin where she was the sole occupant, she had always pictured sharing the trip over with another girl, her age to talk to her. She had imagined an Irish girl, like herself, perhaps going to America to seek her fortune of visit relatives, someone like herself she could while away the hours with.  
  
She walked over to her bags, which had been fetched up by a porter - another comfort Vanity was unaccustomed to- and took out her hairbrush.  
  
She wandered over to the mirror on the washstand, and shook her hair out, a cascade of blonde ringlets, then looked up, surveying herself in the mirror.  
  
Although she was the orphaned child of a butcher, Vanity had, until her seventeenth birthday, been a ward of an elderly gentleman, Judge Turpin. He had provided for her well, but now it was time for Vanity to obtain a husband. She was being sent over to her America for that purpose only, to find a suitable husband. Vanity was beautiful, she knew it even now as she looked into the mirror, but she knew nothing of the ways of men or flirtation, never having had a female role model. Judge Turpin had been a bachelor, and Vanity had never had so much as a governess.  
  
She let herself out of the room, into the corridor, intending to go the 'gathering room', as the stewardess had called it, hoping to meet someone of interest there. She had just started down the corridor, looking around at the walls and fine woodwork on the doors, when she felt herself collide with another being.  
  
"Excuse me, Miss," She felt a hand on her shoulder to steady her and a kindly male voice.  
  
Vanity looked up and saw a handsome man wearing stylish, elegant dinner attire, even nicer than that of Judge Turpin's. She blushed, clearly this gentleman was of high importance.  
  
"Oh, sir, I beg your apology, I was not looking where I was-"She realised he had still not taken his hand of her arm- "going" She finished lamely.  
  
Vanity blushed again when she realised he was looking at her intensely, surveying her. "I'll just go, then-"  
  
"No, please don't leave!" He stepped out in front of her. "You haven't told me your name,"  
  
"I'm-my name is-but you're a stranger! I must go, goodbye!" And before he could stop her, she fled in the opposite direction down the hallway.  
  
Thomas Andrews was left, standing in her wake, his hand still warm from where it had touched her.  
  
"Who are you?" He repeated, though she was long gone. Thomas had been on his way to the engine room when she had bumped into him, and from the moment he saw her, he had been taken away by her beauty.  
  
He shook his head.Now was not the time for idle thoughts. 


	2. An Alarming Discovery

N.B-Based on James Cameron's Titanic, not historically accurate.  
  
He Died A Lonely Man-Chapter two: An Alarming Discovery  
  
Thomas muttered to himself as he started down the stairs to the steerage deck. He had fought for sometime now against his urges to go down there and "accidentally" bump into the beautiful young woman again, but now could fight them no longer. He ran his fingers through his wavy grey hair, and wished again that he was just a bit better looking. Thomas was unaware of the fact that women were very attracted to his quiet and sensible demeanour, unaware of the fact that the mysterious girl had been as attracted to him as he had been to her.  
  
He strode down the hall, not dawdling now as he thought again of her beauty. Thomas was to sensible to believe in such nonsense as love at first sight, indeed, he had protested and fought against it on more than one occasion, and Thomas did not believe that he was in love. He was attracted, that was it, and more than slightly angry at this girl for invading his mind.  
  
His timing could not have been more perfect, the girl stepped out the door just as he was passing, and Thomas mentally congratulated himself on his intuition.  
  
Vanity looked up and saw Thomas. "Oh, sir."She said, panicking.  
  
"No, don't be afraid!" Thomas caught hold of her arm. "Stay, please."  
  
Vanity looked up at his searching eyes. "Alright,"He finally agreed. She had had no-one to talk to and was desperately lonely.  
  
"I'm Thomas Andrews," He introduced himself, still not removing his had from her. "Please, miss, what's your name?"  
  
"Vanity,"  
  
Thomas nodded, Vanity was the perfect word to describe this girl, she was beautiful. Careful not to feast his eyes on her for too long, he looked up. "Vanity what?"  
  
"Garber," She breathed, wondering why she was shaking. "Vanity Garber,"  
  
"And you are travelling third class, I assume, Vanity?"  
  
Her clear blue eyes met his questing chocolate ones. "Why, yes, but what of you? You dress too-"She realised what she had been about to say, and changed it quickly- "Too elegantly to be travelling steerage."  
  
"You've caught me out, then. I'm designer of the ship," He looked at her closely, scrutinising every feature. She passed with flying colours.  
  
Vanity laughed gaily. "Piffle! Don't trifle with me, sir," She ventured out boldly. "I prefer to be flirted with,"  
  
Thomas drew a sharp intake of breath at her latter comment. "Why are you on board, Vanity? You will excuse me for asking, of course, but you sound Irish born, like myself,"  
  
"I'm going to America," She admitted reluctantly. "To find a husband."  
  
"Oh," Thomas took a step back from her. "Oh, that would make sense"  
  
"So, Mr Andrews, are you travelling second class?" She looked at him keenly, and Thomas melted.  
  
"Why, yes, as a matter of fact, I am," He fibbed. "But now I must go and-"  
  
"Yes?" Interjected Vanity when he stopped abruptly.  
  
"Go and-prepare for dinner"  
  
"Oh," Vanity could barely keep the disappointment out of her voice. "Will I see you again?"  
  
Thomas considered it, then decided it was best if he did not. Clearly, she was not in his class.  
  
"Perhaps" He turned around and started walking away. "Perhaps,"  
  
And then he was gone, leaving Vanity aware of a new, pleasant feeling inside of her that hadn't been there ever before. 


End file.
